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Characteristics & Functions
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White crystal or crystalline powder, odorless and subacid, Soluble in water, insoluble in ethanol, ethyl ether and acetone. Melting point: 300oC.
Taurine is one of the sulphur containing amino acids. It is present in most animal tissues and is particularly abundant in oysters, mussels, bovine bile and human breast milk.
It helps generate nerve impulses. It is crucial to newborns, since they cannot make it. Taurine functions in the brain and the heart to help stabilize cell membranes. It is also an antioxidant with detoxifying activities seen especially in the eyes and the lungs.
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